Best Day Trips from Kuala Lumpur

While Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s major transportation hub, you’ll find most of the country’s best attractions outside of the city. Luckily, you can enjoy the conveniences of Kuala Lumpur as a home base for your travels while taking day trips to nearby areas. Here are a few of the best.

Batu Caves

Located 8 miles (13 kilometers) from Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves, a series of limestone caves and caverns containing a collection of Hindu shrines and temples — one of the most important Hindu sites outside of India. After climbing the 272 steps to the base of Cathedral Cave, the massive main cavern, you’ll find a giant golden statue of Muruga, the tallest statue in Malaysia. You’ll have troops of friendly monkeys keeping you company the entire way.

The historic trading port of Malacca is probably the most popular day trip from Kuala Lumpur. The town center is dotted with beautiful Portuguese colonial structures, like the Christ Church in Dutch Square, and the local cuisine is considered to be some of the best in Malaysia. Make sure to tour the ruins of St. Paul’s Church on St. Paul’s Hill and so some shopping on Jonker Street’s antique row.

Genting Highlands

The Genting Highlands serve as Malaysia’s primary hill station resort, billing itself as the “City of Entertainment.” The name doesn’t lie; Genting is home to a world-class casino, indoor and outdoor theme parks, a 4D movie theater, a skydiving simulator and the Genting Skyway, the fastest and longest cable car ride in Southeast Asia.

Taman Negara National Park

If the crowds and noise of Kuala Lumpur are getting you down, spend a day in Malaysia’s largest national park, Taman Negara. Within the park, visitors can swim beneath a cascading waterfall, hike through lush rainforests, spot hundreds of species of birds and insects or take a canopy tour on one of the region’s longest suspension bridges. If you feel like prolonging the experience, the park offers walking and four-wheel-drive night safaris.